MAKING GREEN
FINANCE A REALITY
IN THE BALTICS

Søren Kjær Mortensen

Vice President and Head of Lending at the NIB 

Atis Zakatistovs

Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Latvia 

Dr. Atis Zakatistovs has been the Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Finance of Latvia since January 2019. His areas of responsibility include expenditure management, taxation and AML policies. Dr. Zakatistovs is an independent Member of the Latvian Parliament, currently working in the Defence and Anti-corruption Committee.
Before entering politics, Dr. Zakatistovs had an academic career and a consultancy business first in Canada, then in Latvia. In 2001 he received his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Ottawa, Canada. As a visiting professor he taught courses in the history of ideas, environmental ethics and logic at the University of Ottawa and McGill University. He also worked at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Upon returning to Latvia in 2003, Dr. Atis Zakatistovs continued his academic career at the Riga Business School. As a change management consultant and business coach he has worked with leading Latvian companies on various projects.
For many years Dr. Atis Zakatistovs has worked closely with “Cerību spārni”, a non-governmental organization supporting people with disabilities. He is a founding member of “Iespējamā Misija”, an organization striving to eliminate inequality in education by recruiting talented school teachers.

Maya Hennerkes

Director Green Financial Systems of EBRD

Is the Director for Green Financial Systems at the Climate Strategy and Delivery Department of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Prior to this, she led EBRD’s ESG work with financial institutions and private equity funds. She promotes sustainable financial systems and the integration of climate, environmental and social matters in investment decisions and management. Maya is a sustainable finance and ESG expert with almost 20 years of experience, with previous positions at the Inter-American Development Bank Group in Washington DC and Bloomberg L.P. in London.

She is a member of the Club of Rome’s Think Tank 30 and serves on the Advisory Board of SustainableFinance.Live. Maya studied economics, political science and Latin America studies in Germany and Spain and holds an Executive Masters in Public Management from the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.

Peter Bosek

CEO Luminor

Peter joined Luminor in 2021 from Erste Group, the Austrian-headquartered financial services group, where, most recently, he was the Group's Chief Retail Officer and Chief Executive Officer of Erste's Austrian branch.
During his 24 years with Erste, Peter held various management responsibilities. He first focused on real estate before becoming accountable for the bank’s branch network. In 2007, he was appointed to the management board to oversee the Retail segment of the bank.
Peter has unique expertise across Retail banking and led the growth of Erste highly respected digital banking platform across Europe, in addition to overseeing the group’s fintech and digital innovation units.
In Luminor, he aims to grow bank’s lending, notably in mortgages and to SME customers, and to increase customer satisfaction.
A native of Vienna, Peter holds a Doctorate in Law from the city's university.

​Tomas Kontautas

Country Managing Partner, Sorainen

Tomas Kontautas is a Country managing partner at Sorainen Lithuania. He has over 20 years of extensive experience providing practical advice to help businesses navigate insurance law and banking regulatory processes.
T. Kontautas developed a strong banking regulatory profile while dealing with complex regulatory matters of traditional financial market players and the fintech industry. He also advises on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. T. Kontautas contributed to the development of the Lithuanian Strategy and Action Plan on Sustainable Finance.
T. Kontautas works with Lithuanian and international clients across a broad range of sectors, including energy, infrastructure, banking, fintech, insurance, capital markets, fund structuring and asset management, non-banking financing, and also lectures at Vilnius University.

​Natasha Cazenave

Executive Director of ESMA

Natasha Cazenave has been the Executive Director of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) since June 2021. She was previously Managing Director in charge of the Policy and International Affairs Directorate at the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers and, between 2012 and 2016, Chair of IOSCO’s Policy Committee on Investment Management. Prior to that, she worked for a European consultancy specialized in corporate governance and the promotion of investor rights. She started her career in the Valuation and Business Modelling team of Ernst & Young Corporate Finance. Natasha Cazenave holds a master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Paris Dauphine.

​David Wright

President of EUROFI

David Wright is the current President of EUROFI, the European financial services think tank and a specialist partner of Flint-Global, a strategic business consultancy based in London providing advice on international policy and regulatory developments for financial services clients. David joined Flint after over 34 years in the European Commission in Brussels. From 2000 to 2010 he was first Director, then Deputy Director General for financial services policy, where he played a leading role in the integration of European capital markets and the EU’s response to the financial crisis. He was the rapporteur on both the Lamfalussy and the De Larosière Committees which changed the EU’s institutional framework for financial services, setting up bodies such as the European Banking Authority, the European Securities and Markets Authority, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority and the European Systemic Risk Board at the European Central Bank. David has unrivalled international regulatory experience in financial services. After leaving the European Commission he was the Secretary General of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) from 2012-2016. He has also represented the European Commission and IOSCO at the Financial Stability Board and led the EU-US Financial Markets Regulatory Dialogue for many years.

​Gintarė Skaistė

Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

Ms. Gintarė Skaistė is the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. She has more than 14 years of experience in politics and economy – in 2016 Ms. Skaistė was elected as the Member of the Seimas (Parliament) of the Republic of Lithuania and re-elected in 2020. She worked in the Committee on Social Affairs and Labour and Committee on Budget and Finance. Prior to the Parliament, Gintare Skaiste was Kaunas City Councillor for 9 years and Deputy Chair at the Urban Development and Investment Committee. She holds Master's degree in Economics (in 2011) and a PhD in Social Sciences (in 2016). Ms. Skaistė is a Member of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union and the Honorary Member of the Lithuanian Community of the Atlantic Treaty.

​Vaida Česnulevičiūtė

Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania

Currently Ms Vaida Česnulevičiūtė holds the position of the Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania. In this position Vice-Minister V. Česnulevičiūtė is responsible for the areas of the European Union investments; international financial assistance; financial market policy; National Fund; Municipal Financial Affairs Group.
In 2019-2020 she was the advisor to the President of the Republic of Lithuania for economics and innovations. From 2014 to 2019 Ms V. Česnulevičiūtė worked for the Bank of Lithuania in various leading positions. In October 2018 – May 2019 she underwent a traineeship at the European Central Bank. From 2009 to 2016 she worked for the law firm Eversheds Saladžius and the Financial Mechanism Office of the European Free Trade Association.
Ms V. Česnulevičiūtė holds the Master’s Degree in Commercial Law obtained at Vilnius University. She also studied international banking and finance law at University College London.

​Werner Hoyer

President of the European Investment Bank

Werner Hoyer has a PhD (economics) from Cologne University where he also started his career in various positions. Dr Hoyer served for 24 years as a Member of the German Bundestag. During this period, he held the position of Minister of State at the Foreign Office on two separate occasions. In addition, he held several other positions, including that of Whip and FDP Security Policy Spokesman, Deputy Chairman of the German-American Parliamentary Friendship Group, FDP Secretary General and President of the European Liberal Democratic Reform Party (ELDR).
Upon appointment by the EU Member States, Dr Hoyer commenced his first term as EIB President in January 2012. His mandate was renewed for a second term commencing on 01 January 2018.
Dr Hoyer and wife Katja have two children.

​MARIO NAVA

Director-General for Structural Reform Support at the European Commission

Mario holds a degree in Economics from Bocconi University (1989), a Master from the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) (1992), a PhD in Public finance from the London School of Economics (1996) and an Executive Harvard Business School (2012)
He has held various senior positions since joining the European Commission in 1994. Since June 2020, he is the Director-General of the DG for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM). Prior to that, he was 3 times Director and 2 times Head of Unit in the Directorate General for Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets' (DG FISMA). In 2018, he also served as Chairman of CONSOB, Italy's financial markets supervisor.
Alongside his current work, he is active in research and teaching. He is currently Visiting Professor at Bocconi University (Milan) and at Solvay Business School (Brussels) and has been teaching in several universities in Europe and Latin America.

​Gediminas Šimkus

Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania

Gediminas Šimkus is a Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania and a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank. He joined the Bank of Lithuania in 2002, and over the 18 years of his work at this institution consistently furthered his career, gaining experience in banking supervision, financial stability, analysis and forecasting of global and domestic economic developments, monetary policy formation, macro-prudential and economic policy decision-making, statistical compilation and dissemination. Two years spent working at the European Central Bank (ECB) contributed even more to his knowledge and experience. As Member of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, he oversaw the field of banking and financial stability.

​INGA SKISAKER

CEO Swedbank Lithuania

Inga Skisaker has joined Swedbank Lithuania as CEO and Chairwoman of the Board in September 2021. Before joining Swedbank, she had leading positions in Nordea Bank, including senior positions in Nordea Bank ABP, Head of Nordea Baltics and Head of Nordea Lithuania. Prior to her career in Nordea she was the CEO of one of the largest retailers in Lithuania – RIMI (part of ICA group). Inga Skisaker used to work as an independent board member at Telia Lithuania, was a board member at Baltic Management Institute and Investors Forum Lithuania.

​Tomas Thyblad

Vice President at Nasdaq, Head of ESG Solutions

After his studies Tomas began his career at Sveriges Riksbank, where he was responsible for the implementation of monetary policy.
Back in 2002, Tomas started at NASDAQ – Beginning as a business analyst and bid manager at OMX Technology before moving over to OMX Treasury, where he became the Vice President and Treasurer for the Non-US entities. Continuing as a Vice President, this time for Nasdaq Clearing, Tomas was also the Chief Risk Officer and the Chairman of the Clearing Risk Committee and Default Committee. Afterwards, Tomas moved to Nasdaq Treasury and became the Head of Financial Risks and Treasury Operation in EMEA / APAC. Tomas transferred back to Nasdaq Clearing in 2019 to be interim Head of Clearing Risk and Programme Director for the Risk Management Enhancement Programme.
As of April 2020, Tomas is the Vice President and Head of ESG Solutions, European Markets for Nasdaq, where he is responsible for coordination of initiatives and the tactical and strategic work around offerings in the Environmental, Social, and Governance area. He also serves as Director of the Board of Nasdaq Clearing as well as Council member in the Supervisory Council in Nasdaq CSD.

​Kęstutis Juščius

CEO of AUGA group

Kęstutis Juščius is the CEO and main shareholder of AUGA group, Europe’s largest vertically-integrated organic food producer, which is now transforming to AgTech. Listed on the Nasdaq Vilnius, with over 1200 employees, the company is often presented as an example of sustainability and good corporate governance, and of maintaining agility even as a large and complex business.

Through his unique philosophy of marrying agriculture with technological innovation, Kęstutis spearheads an expert team of agronomists, engineers, and tech innovators that are working together to create a technology-driven, globally adaptable food production system that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions.

Kęstutis is the one to talk to about the issues of sustainability and resilience in agriculture and about real solutions to these challenges. He also has valuable insights on the management of a very complex business with an independent board, creativity, technology development, and thinking big to change the world and actually doing it.

​Sonata Gutauskaitė-Bubnelienė

CEO and Chairwoman of the Management Board at SEB bank Lithuania

Sonata started her career at SEB more than 20 years ago as a client consultant and has held a number of senior positions within the bank. Before becoming the bank‘s CEO, Sonata was responsible for Baltic Retail business in the three Baltic banks at SEB. She has a deep experience in banking, having worked for SEB in a variety of teams, areas and markets with a focus on innovation, digitization and sustainability.

​Simonas Gustainis

Managing Partner, BaltCap

BaltCap is a multi-strategy private equity investor in the Northern and Central Europe that currently manages around EUR 500 million of capital and has a portfolio of 45 companies across four different strategies, including buyout, infrastructure, venture capital and growth capital. Sustainability is at the roots of the firm since its foundation in 1995 when EBRD and Scandinavian investors established the first Baltics-oriented fund.
Simonas is with BaltCap since 2004. He is also a chairman of the investment committee at BaltCap Infrastructure Fund which has deployed almost EUR 300 million in the Baltic States and Poland targeting reduction in carbon emissions since 2017. During the 18 years in the firm he has witnessed and was involved in the evolution of the approach from reporting to risk management to impact investing. Simonas holds an EMBA from INSEAD.

​Ingrida Šimonytė

Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania